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DruggedSue: my intro


DruggedSue

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Its been 10 days since I took my last antidepressant and I'm having a rough ride. I've been on one or another since 2010, however even before that I would be on and off one SSRI or another. 

 

About a year ago I saw my 7th psychiatrist in 5 years, they keep leaving, and he put me on mitazapine and venlaflaxine. 

I spent the last 6 months coming off mitazapine and then cut from 150mg venlaflaxine to 75mg then jumped off 10 days ago. 

 

I do have some experience of withdrawal from morphine and diazepam and I have always suffered bad side effects when starting a new antidepressant as well as withdrawals. My mental health nurse says I am very sensitive to drug changes. I actually think I'm not, I'm just quite self aware. 

 

Currently I'm struggling most with last of good sleep, I seem to be able to go to sleep but my fit bit is telling me I'm barely touching deep sleep, so exhausted all the time. 

I have terrible stomach issues anyway but the nausea is making eating impossible.  

I note my insatiable urge for chocolate and sweets is gone. Replaced with wanting a nice home cooked meal yet I haven't the energy to make a drink. 

I'm extremely emotional,  crying at the drop of a hat. 

I feel pretty hopeless at the moment.

 

I have a retreat booked for the end of August. They use psilocybin but also yoga, meditation, breathwork etc

I am hoping I am at least feeling physically better by then as I have to get myself to Portugal.

 

The brain zaps I was getting were unbelievable.  I've had them before but nothing on this level. And they weren't just my brain, these were whole body zaps. Bought on by movement or sound. It felt like every nerve in my body was having a fit. Waking from a deep sleep. 

It was stopping me do everything but the first few days were the worst. Then I think they have become less severe and to a certain extent I've got used to it. Definitely still something going on. 

 

I live alone so can all be a bit lonely. No one to discuss things with and it would be nice to have someone to help with walking the dog, walking feels like I'm under water it's just so much effort. 

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  • ChessieCat changed the title to DruggedSue: my intro
  • Moderator Emeritus

Hello, and welcome to SA.  We are a volunteer-run community of people who have been or are getting off of psychiatric drugs.  Congratulations for coming off the drugs!  It sounds as though you are dealing with withdrawal from recently coming off of mirtazapine and venlafaxine. This combination is also known as California rocket fuel.  I need to know some more specific information about your recent tapers of the two drugs, especially when you jumped to zero on each one.  

 

Can you please give us specific information in your signature about your drug history for all drugs you are on and have been on, especially for the past 18-24 months?  It would be especially helpful to have the details of your drugs in a concise vertical list (no symptoms), only drug names, specific dates, include the day (as best you can say for example early March if you don't recall the day) and dosages of each medication decrease or increase.  Use this example:

 

Lexapro: 2022: Mar 15 - 5 mg, Apr 20 - 4.5 mg, May 31 - 4.1 mg

Trazodone: 2022: early April - 150 mg, May 15, stopped, 0.

Xanax: 2022: 0.5 mg as needed, twice per week before bed

Etcetera

 

Please read the link below for instructions.  This will allow us to give you the best guidance.  

 

How to List Drug History in Signature

 

Here is some important information about how these drugs actually work.  This explains why we get symptoms from going off of these medications, and why it's so important to taper slowly and carefully, and be very cautious about changing our doses: 

 

How Psychiatric Drugs Remodel Your Brain

 

 

This helps you understand what withdrawal syndrome is: 

 

Video on Recovery from Psych Drugs

 

Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

 

Here is a link with checklists of common WD symptoms: 

 

Dr Joseph Glenmullen Withdrawal Symptom Checklists

 

 

Here are some techniques to cope with symptoms: 

 

Non Drug Ways to Cope with Withdrawal Symptoms

 

Stability is really important when we are tapering off psych meds.  Please read the link about stability:

 

Keep It Simple, Slow, and Stable

 

 

We don't suggest many supplements, but 2 that many of us find helpful are magnesium and omega-3 fish oil. Here are the links for info about those. It is suggested to add one at a time, and start with a low dose to see how it affects you. 


Magnesium

Omega 3 Fish Oil

 

It may possibly help you to do a small reinstatement of one of your recent drugs, which will help to reduce your withdrawal symptoms. Going back on a small dose of your drug, which we call reinstatement, is best done very carefully.  This is temporary, and after stabilizing you would then taper gradually off of this.  There is some risk involved, and we need more specifics about your drug history before we can suggest a reinstatement.  Here is some information about reinstatement.  

 

About Reinstating and Stabilizing to Reduce Withdrawal Symptoms

 

I would strongly suggest that you avoid the use of psilocybin.  This psychedelic compound can cause major problems for persons who are not in withdrawal, but for those in withdrawal, it could be very risky.  We suggest people also avoid alcohol and other mind altering substances as well while in withdrawal.  Read these quotes by our site founder Altostrata: 

 

On 12/15/2013 at 1:52 PM, Altostrata said:

Magic mushrooms are neuroactive, as are all psychiatric drugs. Whether magic mushrooms do this or not, proliferation of brain cells is not necessarily a good thing. Proliferation of brain cells sometime indicates neurological injury.

 

On 10/1/2015 at 1:41 PM, Altostrata said:

scot, we're not big on the recreational drugs here. They can make withdrawal syndrome a lot worse.

 

For context, these quotes were pulled from this thread: 

 

Psychedelics

 

The keys to healing are time, patience, and perseverance, as well as natural self care.  This takes a lot of time to recover from, but eventually you will get better, if you take proper care of yourself.  

Please do not private message me.  Only tag me for urgent questions about tapering and reinstating - thank you.  

 

***Please note this is not medical advice.  Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a doctor who understands psych meds and how to withdraw from them, if you can find one.

 

Lexapro   Started Apr 15 2010 - 10 mg;  started taper August 2017, recent taper info: Apr 2 '20  0.18 mg; Jul 16  0.17 mg, Aug 23  0.16 mg, Oct 7  0.15 mg, Nov 8 - 0.14, Jan 16 '21 - 0.13, Feb 7 - 0.12, Feb 22 - 0.11, Mar 26 - 0.10, May 21 - 0.09, June 15 - 0.08 Aug 16 - 0.07, Oct 6 - 0.06, Nov 21 0.05, Dec. 17 0.04, Jan 14 '22 0.03, Feb 19 0.02, Apr 18 0.01, May 15 0.005,  Jul 8, 0.00.  Psych Drug Free as of July 8, 2022!!  Woohoo!!!

other meds: Levothyroxine 75 mg

magnesium in small amounts at 4 AM, before bed

suppl AM: fish oil, flax oil, vit C, vit E, multivitamin, zinc

suppl 8 PM: magnesium 350 mg, extended release vitamin C, melatonin 2 mg

 

Paxil 2002 - 2010, switched to Lexapro 2010 

Trazodone 50 mg. 2002 - 2019, fast tapered in 2019 

Xanax 0.5 mg as needed 2002 - 2019, up to 3x weekly 

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